Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better
Of Quirky Excellence
Set a week after Through Love Comes Healing ended. Leliana and Morrigan have a discussion about Zevran. It doesn't end well. Morgs/Zev. Leli/Jowan implied friend-mance. It will make more sense when I finish "Through Love Comes Healing"
"How many times do I have to tell you, Leliana, let go, you cannot hesitate!"
Zevran sighed. He was trying to help Leliana improve her archery skills, but she was getting tired and frustrated by the minute. This was not her ideal moment. Morrigan was with him, apparently, and Kallie and Alistair were in Denerim, getting Alistair's armor repaired from the incident with the ogre. He had fully recovered.
Jowan had made much progress over the last week, though he was still jumpy and very delicate. Leliana had grown fond of him, and they had soon become fast friends. Kallian had put her in charge of watching for any signs of blood magic, and so far, Leliana had needed to report nothing.
"Can we please stop now, Zev?" she breathed, releasing the arrow after taking a very long time to aim.
He shook his head. "No. Not till your aim comes faster."
She nocked another arrow, annoyed at his stubbornness. "I'm so tired."
"Good." He said. She fired the arrow, hitting the target, a wooden figure about the size of a Genlock, and knocked it over.
"Nice one!" Oghren said between sips of his ale. Menace barked, showing his approval.
She put away her bow and quiver, and went to fetch a drink. Morrigan met her at her tent, looking rather angry.
"What is it now? Mad because it's a sunny day today?" Leliana joked, brushing past the tall, slender mage with raven-black hair and black and violet robes.
Morrigan shook her head. "I want you to stay away from Zevran. He's mine."
Leliana gasped, annoyed that after how he'd treated her, that Morrigan could even think there was anything between them. Leliana turned to face Morrigan. "You know full well that is not the case." She said, trying to remain calm. Jowan liked her more anyway.
"I know you're not just pretending to be weak, but exaggeration to get close to Zevran? I'd expected better of you. Leave him alone, or we shall have a problem."
"We already do, Morrigan, and it is not him. It's your insecurity, I think."
Morrigan gasped, furiously turning her back on Leliana and she strode off in a huff.
"What just happened?" said a quiet voice coming from the tent next to Leliana and Wynne's. Leliana opened the entrance to Jowan's tent and calmly approached him. "I heard you and Morrigan arguing."
"It's alright, Jowan. She's just being…Morrigan." Leliana sighed, checking his forehead. He was not feverish, and she was glad of it. It had been touch and go for the past week.
"She sounds rather unkind." He frowned. "What's this about Zevran?" he asked.
"I don't know, there's just something about him…but we're just friends. He made his choice and he chose Morrigan."
"I know how it feels. Well, sort of. I was in love once, an initiate from the Chantry, which, of course was forbidden. But I ruined it. I ruined everything. I just wish I could have undone what happened, with the blood magic. If I hadn't been such a fool, perhaps she wouldn't have alienated me."
"That is…horrible. Truly horrible. Sometimes I wish I could undo some things, but we can't. It's part of life. But the reason Kallie saved you was because she believed everyone deserves a second chance to make things right." Leliana bowed her head, knowing this truly was the reason Kallian had saved Jowan. She understood the need for a second chance, and she knew what it was to lose the one she loved.
Fortunately, she and Alistair had a blossoming relationship now, and Kallie's old wounds had healed. However, saving Jowan proved she was still tender where she was most scarred.
He sighed, gasping as his arm moved suddenly in a tight muscle spasm.
"I don't think that will ever heal." He said solemnly.
"Not fully, no. The nerves must be damaged, Wynne says. But there are one-handed staves, I hear." Said Leliana.
"Only at the Circle." He said, shuddering at the thought of ever going back there again.
"The Circle cannot touch you if you are serving a Grey Warden." She said, steadying him by putting a hand on his good shoulder. He winced, though her intent was to comfort him.
"Sorry. "He said.
"It's alright." she replied. "You've had it rough."
He nodded slightly. "I try not to remember, but the dreams, and the flashbacks…will they ever go away?"
"I'm not sure." She sighed, sadly. "But if you ever need to talk, you know I'm always here."
"Thank you." He said, relaxing his tense position. "You have been…wonderful."
There was an awkward pause, and he continued, "I mean, you've been very…kind."
She laughed, amused yet touched by his sentiment, and she gently placed her hand on his good shoulder again. This time he did nothing but look into her eyes. She smiled, her blue eyes shining with emotion. She was beginning to get a soft spot for him indeed. She didn't know how to tell him, though.
"Sometimes I wonder what I even saw in Zevran." She said.
"What's that supposed to mean? Do you see something in someone else?" he asked, raising a curious eyebrow.
"Perhaps." She smiled flirtatiously. He reached for her hand and she took it.
"I knew it." He said, grinning.
She gently took the frail mage into her arms and hugged him. They were about to kiss when Morrigan walked in. "Supper is rea-WHAT is going on here?" she expressed with shock.
"How very awkward this is. Have you heard of warning us you were coming?" Leliana asked, noting the amused look on the witch's face.
"…You, and him… I had no idea."
"You owe her an apology." Jowan said, as he frowned at the other mage.
"I…Ginger…Leliana…I'm so sorry. I had no idea you were…I thought…"
"It's alright Morrigan. I understand."
"You do?" Morrigan asked.
"Of course. You had every right to hate me, but there is more between Jowan and I that I could ever expect from your man." Leliana smirked, getting her payback at last for the wasted tears she had cried over the assassin who obviously only had eyes for Morrigan.
"Ugggh! You little bitch! You think you're better than me, don't you! We have not spoken, you understand? Of all the…" Morrigan muttered insults to them as she left the tent, while Jowan and Leliana stood in shock.
"Well that was…" Jowan was at a loss for words.
"Unexpected." Leliana finished for him.
"Heh, you can say that again." He replied as she sat down on his cot again. She pushed the hair out of his face.
"Now where were we?" she asked sweetly.
"I was telling you how beautiful you are." He told her.
"You think I'm beautiful?" She asked, not sure of what to think as she now longed to spend every second with him.
"More than anything, from the moment I laid eyes on you." He said, lowering his voice.
She kissed him.